Health care workers rally to mark anniversary, protest privatization

Close to 100 people gathered outside London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria Campus Monday mark a milestone anniversary, and protest the Ford government’s move to privatize some services.

“Constantly we’ve got a pager on our hip, we’re being pulled and we need to prioritize moment by moment,” said respiratory therapist Lara Kiedyk.

In her department, job postings go up, and remain unfilled, she said.

She’s never seen anything like it in her 25 years at LHSC.

‘It’s a struggle. We’re recruiting as quickly as we can. But there’s still not enough people coming in to the profession,” said Kiedyk.

The rally marks 20 years since OPSEU hospital workers across the province held a one-day walkout to fight for what they said was better working conditions and better patient care.

The rally also culminates in a number of issues that reached the boiling point during the pandemic, as health care workers say they face burnout brought on by safe shortages. They were also protesting the Doug Ford government’s move to privatize some health care services.

Last month the government announced a three step plan to reroute some surgeries and procedures to private health clinics in a bid to address surgery backlogs across the province.

OPSEU Local 106 President Steve McCaw said the move will actually have the opposite effect of increased wait times.

“If they privatize they’ll just be poaching people from the hospital,” said McCaw. “The buildings are here, the ORs are here, all the facilities are here, the money’s invested. we just need to stabilize and enhance the workforce.”

The London health care rally was one of several held across the province